Apparatus for teaching music



'. Sept. 14 1926. 1,600,052

G. A. M ALEAYEY APPARATUS FOR TEACHING MUSIC Filed Feb. 2. 1926 F%E FIG E FIE-3..

r A cp@@ (IQ/WM Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNI ED STATES PATENT or icE.

GRACE A. MOA'LEA'VEY, or

APPARATUS FOR Application filed February This invention relates to apparatus for teaching music and more particularly for teaching the various scales; and it consists of a musical ladder having removable bars or steps as hereinafter fully described and claimed and which support disks marked to indicate the various notes and their positions on the scales.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a musical ladder constructed according to this invention and arranged to teach the chromatic scale. Fig. 2 is a front view of the ladder with all the removable steps removed. Fig. 3 is a side view of the ladder shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front view of some of the disks used to indicate the notes. Fig. 5 is an end view of a slidable step.

The ladder is provided with two longitudinal side bars 6 arranged parallel to each other, and having four steps 7, 8, 9 and permanently secured between them. The ladder is provided with supporting bars 11 hinged at their tops to the bars 6, and adapted to support the ladder on any table or flat surface. Any other approved means can be used for supporting the ladder in a raised position, and the ladder can be made of any approved size and material.

The side bars 6 are provided with cross grooves 12, and nine grooves are provided in each bar. One groove is arranged between each end of the middle .steps 8 and 9, and four grooves are arranged between the ends of the steps 7 and 8 and between the ends of the steps 9 and 10. The steps 7 and 10 are the lowest and highest steps on the ladder respectively.

The grooves and steps are preferably arranged at equal, distances apart as shown, and the permanent steps are arranged so that they may indicate the notes of music WhlCh are the same in all the scales. Removable steps are provided, and are placed in the grooves 12 as shown in Fig. 1, to teach the chromatic scale.

One of the side bars 6 has a series of hooks 16 which are arranged adjacent to the steps, and removable disks 17 are hung on these books, and are numbered consecutively 1 to 13 inclusive, to correspond with the steps of the ladder. A removable pointer or arrow 18 is also provided, and is placed on or against the ladder to indicate whetherthe scale is ascending or descending, but this ronn'nu LAC, WISCONSIN.

TEACHING MUSIC.

2, 1926. Serial No. 85,524.

can be omitted, if desired. The disks 17 are preferably circular in form and have holes for engagingwith the hooks, and are formed of any approved material.

Each step has also a hook 20 which projects forwardly from its middle part, and 21 are disks provided with holes and adapted to be hung on the hooks 20. The disks 21 are marked to indicate the notes used in music, and are divided into seven series to correspond with the seven notes 0, d, e, f, g, a, b, of the scale.

The disks of each series are of a different color from the other series, and there are five disks in each series. The disks pertaining to the note 0, for instance, are red, and those pertaining to the note b are white and so on. The five red disks pertaining to the note 0 are marked to represent 0 natural, c sharp, c flat, c double-sharp, and 0 doublefiat; and the disks of the other series are similarly marked to correspond with the other six letters of the scale.

The disks 21 are preferably oval in form, and are of any approved material. As many additional disks 17 and 21 as desired may be provided for convenience in imparting instruction.

Fig. 1 shows the arrangement for teaching the chromatic scale, and all the scales major and minor, harmonic, melodic and mixed, can be taught by removing appropriate steps and disks from the ladder. Intervals and chords can also be taught in a similar manner. Any other approved means besides hooks may be used for attaching the disks to the ladder in carrying out this invention, and the disks may be of any approved colors to distinguish them.

What I claim is:

1. In a musical ladder, a frame comprising two side bars, and four permanent steps secured crosswise between the side bars in positions suitable for teaching the notes of music which are used in all the scales, nine removable steps supported by the said side bars and arranged between the permanent steps in positions for teaching the remaining notes of the chromatic scale, the said permanent steps being the first, sixth, eighth and thirteenth of the series, disks marked to indicate all the various notes used in music, and means for attaching the disks to the steps at will.

2. A musical ladder as setforth in claim 1, the said side bars having cross grooves in their front faces, and the removable steps being slidahlc in the said grooves.

3. A musical ladder as set forth in claim 1, one of the side bars being provided with sup ports for disks, one for each of its steps,

which project from the side bar adjacent to the steps, and numbered and variously colored disks for engaging with the said sup- 10 ports to indicate the steps and notes to which reference is made in teaching.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GRACE A. MCALEAVEY. 

